


You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Better Than I Know Myself... [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Love, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Post-Alvarez Teikoku | Alvarez Empire Arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:46:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28385727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: It was Christmas day, and the guild was flooded with delicious smells from the kitchen where Mira was currently reigning supreme. It had been a universal decision to spend this day together, a celebration that they had survived, that they were together, and that Fairy Tail had won. The hall was filled to the brim with guild members, friends and family, with townspeople popping in to say hello in between their own celebrations. More presents had been added under the tree, and Bisca was sat with Asuka squirming in her lap, the little girl’s eyes as wide as saucers as she eyed the array of brightly coloured paper.Just one person was missing…
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster
Series: Better Than I Know Myself... [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2078937
Comments: 3
Kudos: 50





	You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mdelpin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdelpin/gifts).



> Please note that if you want to talk to me about my fics and writing, or anime/shows/games in general then you can now find me on discord [The Unholy Trinity](https://discord.gg/6sSddAWa5c).

Christmas was fast approaching. With Magnolia under a foot of snow which had done much to hide the lingering damage from the war and brought a much-needed wave of Christmas cheer to the town as children ran around laughing and throwing snowballs and having fun only as kids could. The winter festival had become a market that stretched out over a couple of weeks, filling the air with the scent of roast chestnuts, mulled wine and pine, as Christmas trees and garlands sprang up across the town, everyone having something to be thankful for this year. Gray had gone all out when the town had asked for help to build an ice-rink in front of the heavily scaffolded Kardia Cathedral. Until it filled the entire space, framed by Christmas trees of ice that caught the many festive lights and made a dazzling display that was particularly enchanting against the early night skies.

While the guild spent a lot of time at the market, joining in the festivities and just enjoying spending time together and that they were here to celebrate Christmas, all of them had pitched in to decorate the guild. With Mira, Makarov – and an outwardly reluctant Laxus who had refused to let the old man overexert himself – outdoing themselves this year as they led the efforts to transform the building into a winter wonderland. Nothing was missed, with even the rubble waiting to be removed and the boards still patching several holes in the walls being festooned with decorations.

Garlands lit with hundreds of tiny lacrima lights curled around beams and along the bar. While mistletoe hung blatantly every few feet so that it now looked as though the guild was playing hopscotch whenever they tried to get a drink, apart from a few who took great delight in stopping under every mistletoe. Bisca and Alzack had been the worst for that, at least until Asuka had innocently asked if she was getting a baby brother or sister for Christmas. Which had cracked up the entire guild, and had the pair blushing, especially when Makarov had raised a toast to the new guild member and ever since they had avoided the mistletoe like the plague. There was now a wager going on about how long it would take for them to break, and everyone had noticed that the mistletoe had started appearing in different places every day.

However, the centrepiece was the massive Christmas tree in the centre of the hall, surrounded by a growing pile of presents. Everyone had been roped into decorating it, not that they’d needed much persuasion, and Mira’s pleading expression had taken care of the very few protests. What that had resulted in was an explosion of colour, tinsel and flashing, multi-coloured lacrima lights wrapped around the tree from top to bottom. Paired with an eclectic collection of decorations that had been salvaged from the few boxes that had survived in the storage after all the damage the building had taken, and from scouring the shops for new ones with everyone contributing something. Anywhere else it would have looked ridiculous, but it was perfect for their recovering, chaotic guild, and there had been cheering and toasts and laughter, as a Santa-hat festooned Happy had lifted Asuka up to place the star on top.

Gray had then added the pièce de résistance as he stepped forward, bringing his hands together, and they’d watched as ice crept across the pine needles, until it looked as though the entire tree had, had the lightest dusting of snow, glittering with light. Once he was done, he’d been hoisted up on several shoulders as a party atmosphere had engulfed the guild, which had rapidly descended into a brawl. However, everyone was careful to avoid the tree, and no one had noticed the conflicted expression on his face as he’d been lifted up or the way that Natsu had stayed out of the fight, eyes locked on the Ice Mage.

_Gray…_

****

Now it was Christmas day, and the guild was flooded with delicious smells from the kitchen where Mira was currently reigning supreme. It had been a universal decision to spend this day together, a celebration that they had survived, that they were together, and that Fairy Tail had won. The hall was filled to the brim with guild members, friends and family, with townspeople popping in to say hello in between their own celebrations. More presents had been added under the tree, and Bisca was sat with Asuka squirming in her lap, the little girl’s eyes as wide as saucers as she eyed the array of brightly coloured paper.

Just one person was missing…

“Have you seen Gray?” Natsu asked Lisanna as she passed him, balancing an overloaded tray of drinks, and he moved to help her as she blinked and glanced around.

“I thought he came with you?” That question would have made him blush in the past. As Natsu had always got flustered when pressed for details of his relationship with the Ice Mage, but now he just looked worried.

“He did.” They’d arrived together, Natsu laughing and refusing to tell Gray what was in the present he was carrying to put under the tree and the Ice Mage pouting and coming up with wilder and wilder guesses. However, at some point, Natsu had been distracted, pulled into a discussion with Levy and Gajeel and then being ordered to help by Erza as she arranged the desserts in what she considered ‘the perfect order’ and he had lost sight of his mate, and now there was no sign of the Ice Mage. “I…” He trailed off as his attention turned back to the tree, the ice still glistening, and frowned. Gray had been in a strange mood since then, and while Natsu thought that he had a good idea about what was going on with his partner, he hadn’t managed to tackle the subject as Gray had been very adept in changing the topic whenever he tried. Which he realised now should have been a massive red flag, and he growled under his breath.

“Natsu?”

“Sorry,” he flashed her a grin and helped her get the tray onto the table, kicking Macao and Wakaba out of the way when they immediately lunged for the tankards and nearly knocked the whole lot over. Lisanna scolded them in a manner eerily reminiscent of her older sister. Natsu used her distraction to slip away as he hadn’t missed her worried expression and didn’t want to explain before he’d tracked Gray down and possibly knocked some sense into his idiot.

He did a quick circuit of the guild just to make sure that Gray wasn’t holed up in one of the corners, unsurprised when he found no sight of the Ice Mage. Realising that he should have seen this coming and kicking himself for not having done so as he skirted a very enthusiastic game of charades. Offering Wendy an apologetic wave when she called for him to join them, instead heading towards the doors, having a good idea of where he would find Gray.

“Natsu?” He had just reached the door when Lucy grabbed him and pulled him back a step, lifting an eyebrow as she glanced between him and the door. “The party is about to start, where are you going?”

“I won’t be long,” Natsu promised with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and Lucy frowned and stepped forward, and he sighed. He should have known that she would not be convinced, especially as he was always in the middle of their parties and he turned to face her, knowing that she wouldn’t let him go if he didn’t. “I promise we’ll both be there.” He saw the moment she cottoned on, her gaze flicking around them and noting the absence of Gray, an unusual sight these days, as they had both been relatively clingy after everything that had happened.

“Gray…”

“I’ve got it,” Natsu reassured her, and this time his grin was warmer. He knew that she would come with him if he asked, they all would. Just as he knew that he had to be the one to find Gray and that the Ice Mage wouldn’t appreciate the others being there as well, no matter how close they all were. “I won’t even punch him,” he offered, when her grip on his arm lingered for a moment, and that brought a fleeting smile to her lips as she nodded and released him, although not without a last comment.

“Don’t be too long.”

“I won’t,” he slipped out of the door before she could say anything else, and Lucy sighed. Wondering if she should have pushed the issue, as Natsu wasn’t the only one who had noticed that Gray hadn’t been himself lately, despite being at the centre of the festive activities.

“Let them handle it,” Erza’s voice made her jump, as she hadn’t heard the other woman approaching and she turned to find that Erza was staring at the door with a frown.

“You’re trusting them to talk about it?” Lucy demanded.

“In one way or another,” Erza replied. Lucy snorted, her worry soothed a little by the confidence in those words. With a last look at the door, she slipped her arm through Erza’s and pulled her towards where everyone was starting to gather around the tables groaning under the weight of the feast now being ferried from the kitchen. “If not we can knock some sense into them later,” Erza added, and Lucy couldn’t help but laugh even though she knew that it wasn’t an idle threat.

**

It was snowing again, and Natsu paused for a moment, face tilted towards the sky and watched the dizzying display of dancing snowflakes. He’d always loved snow, even though it had rarely settled on the mountain where he’d lived with Igneel, his father’s magic keeping it at bay, and he couldn’t help but chuckle as the thought that really it had been inevitable that he would fall for the popsicle. Even though the cold didn’t bother him, he tugged his vest closer, wishing that he’d forgone his usual sandals as he felt the snow melting between his toes as he headed down the street. He knew exactly where he would find Gray, but first, he needed to get something, so he ignored the small voice that told him he was going in the wrong direction and headed towards Gray’s apartment.

The streets were quiet, most people already settling in for Christmas dinner, and it was reassuring to see Magnolia back to its usual self as he glanced through windows as he passed, seeing Christmas trees, and tables laden with food. _You’re missing this Gray,_ he thought and sped up, eager to find his mate.

Eventually, he reached Gray’s apartment or rather their apartment as he spent most of his time here these days, especially as the cottage had lost half its roof and the entire back wall thanks to a stray blast during the fighting and was still waiting on repairs. Half his stuff was still in boxes stacked in the back of the living room, and it was these that he dove into, searching for something he hadn’t used since he’d reunited with Gray after the year apart. It wasn’t in any of the boxes he’d expected, and he was just starting to panic, wondering if he had managed to leave it somewhere when he spotted the familiar navy material wrapped up in his old bedroll which really was fit for the bin. Triumphantly he pulled it free, holding the hoodie up for a moment, before bringing it up to his nose and breathing deeply. Gray’s smell still permeated the material, but not as strongly as before as Natsu had worn it nearly every day after he’d unwrapped it on his birthday and he hugged it close for a moment before pulling it on.

Burying his hands in the pockets, he headed for the door again, leaving the room in disarray, and hoping that he hadn’t misread the situation and that this was going to help him get through the idea that Gray had got into his head. Outside, the snow was flurrying, and he nearly slipped down the stairs before catching himself, grumbling about Ice Mage’s that didn’t care about the weather even as he set off down the road with a determined expression, heading towards the river that snaked past the end of the street and out towards the edge of Magnolia.

_Wait for me, Gray._

****

Gray knew that he should be heading back before anyone started to worry about him, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to go back just yet, fingers curling into the snow that was gathering around him. It was not that he didn’t like Christmas, he loved it, and this year with the town and guild going all out, part of him had been looking forward to losing himself in the celebrations. To laughing and drinking, and spending time with his friends and family.

To spending time with Natsu.

_Natsu…_

That was the problem, and he knew that it was foolish, knew that the gnawing guilt and feeling that he didn’t have the right to want any of that was just a product of his own swirling thoughts. He knew that, but it didn’t stop the thoughts, and it hadn’t stopped the way his breath had caught in his throat that morning as he’d seen Natsu falter in the middle of the guild, rubbing at his scarred hand and staring at the spot where everything had come to an end. He knew that Natsu was just as haunted by everything that had happened as he was. It was impossible to miss, as the nights when Gray didn’t disturb their sleep with nightmares, it was usually Natsu’s turn, and they both had those movements where past and present blurred, staring into the distance, flinching at certain sounds. Yet, there had been something about seeing it today of all days, against the backdrop of Christmas that had got under his skin that had made it seem a thousand times worse.

It had been a storm a long time in the making, he admitted. Christmas had just highlighted it all because it was a time to be together, a time to celebrate, and somehow as he went through the motions and threw his all into joining the festivities, he’d felt more and more that he shouldn’t be there. That he shouldn’t be celebrating what he’d come so close to destroying and losing with his own two hands. He also knew that Natsu would punch him if he had any inkling about the thoughts going through his head, which was why he was out here, sitting in the snow on the riverbank that they’d claimed as their own years before rather than at the guild where he knew he wouldn’t be able to hide from the Dragon-slayer. Because Natsu had made it plain, during the raw, drawn-out conversation, they’d had following the end of the fighting, that he didn’t blame Gray for what had happened and that he wanted to put it behind him.

“I just wish it was that easy…” He whispered.

“You wish what was that easy?” A familiar voice asked, and Gray jolted and froze, surprised, even though he knew that he should’ve known that the Dragon-Slayer would have noticed his absence and known exactly where to find him. Despite everything, there was a blossoming of warmth in his chest at the realisation that Natsu still knew him that well, and he swallowed. Carefully keeping his attention on the grey waters of the river and not giving in to the temptation to look at the Dragon-Slayer for fear that everything would come spilling out. “It’s nothing.”

There was silence for a moment, and he shifted uneasily. He didn’t like it when Natsu was quiet, and it was almost a relief when the Dragon-Slayer spoke up. “The party is starting…” There was an odd note in Natsu’s voice that Gray couldn’t quite place.

“I know,” Gray muttered, grimacing as he felt Natsu’s gaze burning into the space between his shoulders as though the Dragon-Slayer could see right through him. “I’ll be there in a while; you should go ahead…” He knew as soon as he’d said it that it had been a silly thing to say, as Natsu was no more likely to leave him behind than he would be if their positions were reversed, and he was unsurprised by Natsu’s next words.

“I’m not going without you.”

“Natsu…”

“…Gray,” Natsu echoed his tone, not mocking but refusing to be budged, but Gray’s temper flared, and he shot to his feet and whirled to face the Dragon-Slayer.

“Is it too much to ask…?” Gray found himself trailing off, his burst of temper disappearing as though it had never existed as he took in what Natsu was wearing, eyes widening as he recognised the navy hoodie, his heart doing a complicated leap in his chest.

_Natsu…_

He found himself scrambling up the riverbank, the snow making it harder than it needed to be until he reached Natsu and faltered again. The Dragon-Slayer’s expression was unusually unreadable, but there was warmth in the eyes that met his searching gaze, and that gave him the courage to close the distance between them. “You kept it…?” Gray knew that he shouldn’t have been surprised, not really, and yet he found himself reaching out and burying his fingers in the navy material. It wasn’t as soft as it had been when he’d last seen it, the fabric worn thin, as though Natsu had worn it regularly. The Dragon-Slayer was smiling now, not his usual broad grin, but something softer, something private as he rested his hands on top of Gray’s, not pulling him away, but drawing him in closer.

“I did,” Natsu murmured, leaning forward and resting his head against Gray’s. “Do you know how close I was to admitting defeat and coming home to find you? Especially when I realised it was nearly midsummer… nearly the birthday that you had given me.”

“I knew it,” Gray tried to joke, but his voice wavered and broke at the end. They hadn’t really talked about that year apart, at first because it had been too painful, and because of the relief of being together again. Then everything had kicked off, and they hadn’t had a chance to talk about anything. _I wish you had…_ He thought, remembering those long months, wondering how different things would have been if they hadn’t had that year apart. Would that have been enough to stop them from fighting? To stop Gray from coming so close to losing himself to the darkness? But then his gaze shifted down to the hands holding his, to the arms – to the one still heavily scarred from Natsu’s fight with Zeref and he banished that thought. Without that year apart, Natsu might not have been ready for that fight. Gray didn’t doubt that the Dragon-slayer would have found a way to win, that they wouldn’t have found a way, but how much more might they have lost?

Warm lips against his drew him back to the present, and there was a knowing look in Natsu’s eyes as they parted, as though he knew just where Gray’s thoughts had gone. “I missed you,” Natsu continued, holding his gaze, and squeezing his hands, and Gray had a feeling that he wasn’t just talking about that year apart, but today as well and he tried to duck his head. Only to find warm fingers on his chin, stopping him from looking away as Natsu sighed. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

Gray couldn’t speak, because he wasn’t sure exactly why everything had reared it’s ugly head and so strongly when everything had been going fine, and because he didn’t want to put that on Natsu’s shoulders today of all days. Instead, his fingers tightened in the hoodie as he felt Natsu shift slightly, as though that would be enough to stop him from leaving, even though he knew that it would serve him right for his silence. Caught by surprise when Natsu’s hands disappeared from his, only to be replaced by warm hands wrapping around him and drawing him into a tight hug. Gray pressed his nose into Natsu’s shoulder and the fabric of his old hoodie, eyes stinging as he breathed deeply and drew his own scent tinged with Natsu’s cinnamon-ash scent. Unable to stop himself from moving to clutch at Natsu’s back, holding him close, holding them close as he closed his eyes and tried to lose himself in the scent.

“Should I say it then?” Natsu asked after a long moment, and Gray flinched and tried to pull away, panic clawing at him, but the Dragon-Slayer wasn’t for letting him go, and after a few minutes of struggling, Gray slumped against him.

“Don’t…” He whispered.

“You’re thinking about our fight again,” Natsu whispered, and there was no way for Gray to hide the shudder that wracked him, knowing that he had just confirmed Natsu’s suspicions, and bracing himself for a frustrated reminder that all that was over and done with. Instead, Natsu pressed a kiss to his temple and held him close for a moment before continuing, voice softer than before. “You’re trying to tell yourself that we don’t deserve to be celebrating what we came so close to losing.” Gray had almost missed it, wound tight at hearing Natsu give voice to the thoughts and feelings he had been trying to keep to himself, but then he paused, frowning as he recognised Natsu’s word choice and with difficulty, he pulled back. Natsu allowing him to draw back just enough so they could look at one another without completely releasing him, one eyebrow arched as he met Gray’s gaze.

“…we?” It came out softer than Gray had intended. He hadn’t meant for Natsu to be included in any of this, their situations had been different, he had gone further been more ready to stop E.N.D. and sacrifice Natsu in the path of that goal, even if he hadn’t been entirely himself at that moment.

“We,” Natsu said firmly. “You and me.”

“But…”

“I remember fighting you Gray,” Natsu cut across the soft protest, and Gray ached to hear an echo of his own thoughts and pain in the Dragon-Slayer’s voice. “I remember wanting to hurt you, to destroy you…” Gray moved without thinking, and this time he was the one to draw Natsu into a tight embrace, holding him close, realising as he did so that they were both trembling. “You’re not alone in that.”

“I know,” Gray whispered, and he did know. He’d always known, if anything it had helped bring them closer after that awful, painful conversation, and yet somehow, he had forgotten. “I know,” he pressed closer to Natsu, drawing in a deep breath as he felt Natsu’s arms come up around him again. “I just…”

“Got stuck in your own head,” Natsu finished for him when he trailed off, and he sounded so hopelessly fond in that moment that Gray found himself blinking back tears as he gave a tiny nod.

“I’m sorry…”

“Idiot,” Natsu scolded, sounding far more like himself. “I don’t want an apology. I want my idiot mate to kiss me and come home and celebrate Christmas with me.”

Gray couldn’t help it, he started to laugh, a wavering, broken sound that became a chuckle and then a proper laugh that shook his entire body as he clung to Natsu. The Dragon-Slayer let him laugh, just holding him close, and Gray was off again when he looked up and saw the perplexed expression on Natsu’s face, and it was a few minutes before he got himself under control enough to press a kiss to Natsu’s lips. “What did I do to deserve you?”

“Consider it your reward for putting up with me?” Natsu teased.

“Natsu…”

Gray was smiling now, knew that was what Natsu had been going for as the Dragon-Slayer kissed him, before turning a little more serious. “There’s no deserving Gray,” he murmured, and Gray froze because there was that odd note in Natsu’s voice again. “You know me better than I know myself, you showed me that when you gave me this.” Natsu pressed a hand to his chest, curling his fingers into the fabric of the hoodie and Gray released a shaky breath.

“And you know me…” He whispered, and there was a roaring sound in his ears as he stared at Natsu. At this man who had always understood him better than anyone else. Even when Gray had been too stubborn to see it, and he reached out, drawing Natsu close again. This time his kiss was fervent and lingering, as he tried to convey the surging emotions in his chest and Natsu was there, holding him close, a pillar of warmth and familiarity as the Dragon-Slayer melted into the kiss, and returned it with equal fervour.

There on the snowy bank of the river, with Natsu pressed against him, Gray felt something ease and settle in his chest. As though the world had just settled back into alignment. He knew that he wouldn’t forget that he shouldn’t forget, but for the first time, he dared to believe that he could remember it and still move forward. All because of Natsu, and as breathing became necessary and they parted, there were tears on his cheeks. “Thank you.” Natsu was grinning now, shaking his head at the ‘thank you’ and reaching up to brush the tears away, ignoring the ones on his own cheeks. “Natsu…” Gray sighed, reaching up to return the gesture, before taking Natsu’s hand in his and tangling their fingers together. “L-let’s go celebrate,” he murmured, lifting their linked hands to his mouth and pressing a kiss to the back of Natsu’s hand.

“Are you sure?” Natsu asked, serious for a moment, searching his face for any sign of doubt, and Gray smiled.

“You know I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t.”

“No, I know you would lie through your teeth if you thought it would make me happy,” Natsu retorted, but he was grinning and relaxing, squeezing the Ice Mage’s hand to show that he knew Gray meant it. “But…” he continued, drawing the word out. “I believe you, and I think you just want to find out what I got you for Christmas.”

The sight of the present in Natsu’s hand had been a burden earlier, but now, with the fresh lightness that had settled in his chest, Gray felt a surge of excitement. “Maybe I do,” he admitted with a laugh, wiggling his eyebrows and looking pleadingly at the Dragon-slayer.

“Then you’ll have to wait and see,” Natsu said, slipping his hand out of Gray’s and bolting. It caught the Ice Mage by surprise, and for a moment all he could do was stare after the laughing Dragon-slayer before giving chase, dashing a hand across his face to wipe away the remaining evidence of his tears.

“Natsu! WAIT UP!”

****

Natsu had let him catch up halfway down the street, slipping his hand into Gray’s and they’d walked the rest of the way back to the guild like that. Pressed together and laughing, stealing kisses in between Gray’s increasingly outlandish guesses about what the Dragon-Slayer had got him for Christmas. He had no idea if he had even come close because Natsu was laughing so hard that it was impossible to spot any of his usual ticks. Gray found that he didn’t mind too much, drinking in the sight of his laughing mate and deliberately wracking his brain for more silly guesses to keep Natsu laughing.

He was so successful that they both almost fell through the guild doors when they reached them, barely holding one another up as they chortled, and Natsu had tears of a different sort on his cheeks now as clung to Gray. Their arrival was greeted with a chorus of cheers and toasts, and more than one question about where they had been, while in the back Erza and Lucy exchanged relieved glances. “Natsu, we’re doing presents!” Wendy had missed the earlier byplay and was all smiles as she rushed up to him, and Natsu sobered and straightened and Gray wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the look that he was getting, or the mischievous grin that spread across the Dragon—Slayer’s face a moment later.

“Natsu…?”

“Gray wants to open his present first,” Natsu said, grinning at Wendy and raising his voice so that it spread around the guild, focusing all eyes on the Ice Mage who blinked, flustered by the sudden attention before glaring at his unrepentant mate. “Don’t you, Gray?”

“I hate you,” Gray muttered, but that was all he had time for because Wendy had grabbed him by the hand, pulling him and by extension Natsu, as Gray wasn’t letting go of the Fire Mage towards the presents piled around the Christmas tree.

“No, you don’t,” Natsu whispered in his ear with a laugh, finally pulling away just as they reached the tree and going to retrieve the box he’d put under there earlier and holding it out. Gray eyed it and him for a long moment, noticing that Natsu was practically vibrating with excitement now and wondering just what on Earthland he could be up to, before deciding to hell with and reaching out to take it. Letting Wendy push him into a seat between Romeo and Cana and laughing as he realised just how messily it had been wrapped and the various ribbons that had been tied around it, as though Natsu had tried to make it as fancy as possible.

“I’m wrapping the presents next year,” he teased, blinking as he realised just how easy and natural it had been to say that, to look forward to the future and know that the Dragon-Slayer was going to be there. Natsu stuck his tongue out at him in response. However, he was still focused on where Gray was tugging on the ribbons and taking pity on him, and unable to deny that he was intrigued and excited now, Gray turned his attention back to opening the present.

Inside he found a plain cardboard box, and he glanced up at Natsu with a frown, only to be greeted with that same mischievous smile. Rolling his eyes, Gray iced the tape so that it all but fell away and opened the box, only to find another smaller box inside. “Natsu…” He growled and repeated the trick as Natsu’s seemed to have used up an entire roll of tape in doing this, unsurprised to find another box. He went through three more boxes, each progressively smaller than the last until he heard something rattle and caught Natsu shifting from foot to foot out of the corner of his eyes. A little more hesitantly this time, he took his time to wrestle with the tape, vaguely aware of Natsu moving closer as he reached in and lifted the lid, heart flip-flopping in his chest as he spied the red velvet box nestled amongst snowflake patterned tissue paper. “Natsu…?” He whispered as he reached for the box with trembling fingers, as murmurs erupted around them, and he heard at least one high-pitched squeal which he had a feeling was Mira.

“Gray,” Natsu’s voice was soft as he closed the distance between them, sending the whispers up another notch as he dropped to one knee in front of the Ice Mage. Gray was shaking his head, not in denial but in disbelief, warmth in his chest as Natsu smiled up at him and took a deep breath as though suddenly aware of just how big their audience was before squaring his shoulders. “Gray Fullbuster, Popsicle…” Laughter rippled through the guild and Gray gave a breathless chuckle. “Will you marry me?”

Gray couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. _He planned all this, and I was out hiding by the river…_ Warm hands embraced his, and he looked up to find himself staring into Natsu’s eyes, and the affection and love in them took his breath away, and he closed his eyes as he gave a jerky nod.

“Y-Yes…”

“Yes?” Natsu asked, and the unsteadiness in his voice betrayed how nervous he had been, and Gray opened his eyes and smiled at the Dragon-Slayer.

“Yes,” he said, louder this time, although it was nearly lost amongst the roar of delight that spread through the guild, and then it seemed as though everyone was cheering and laughing and trying to hug and kiss them at once. As Fairy Tail celebrated in the only way it knew how, loudly and exuberantly.

And amid the chaos, Natsu and Gray found one another.

The Dragon-Slayer’s grin bright enough to illuminate the entire room as he took the ring box from Gray and opened it, slipping the simple silver band set with a small ruby and sapphire side by side off the cushion and taking the Ice Mage’s hand in his. “Are you sure about this?” Gray asked, voice soft, knowing that the Dragon-slayer would hear him regardless, and Natsu rolled his eyes and stepped closer. Holding Gray’s gaze as he gently slid the ring into place, fingers lingering for a moment before he reached out and pulled Gray flush against him in a tight hug, giving him a lingering kiss.

“I’m sure…after all, who else knows me better than I know myself?”


End file.
